What was that?
by lethalenigma
Summary: WARNING: spoilers for some episodes of Firefly AND for the movie.   Zoe is devastated over Wash's death, dishonest  and honest  stealing continues, and Mal goes to retrieve Wash's body to do the impossible. Rated T - just incase.
1. What was that?

"What was that?"

Zoe heard Mal's question, almost asked humorously, and had no reaction. While everyone else rose to see what he was talking about (even River seemed mildly amused, despite the fact that she probably knew exactly what had occurred), she remained perfectly still, sitting on a crate next to where Jayne and Shepherd work out.

Just Jayne now, that is.

She stared ahead of her, her face blank, while Mal and the others came one by one into the cargo bay, flustered and amused, as the captain tried to find out what had flown off of his ship.

"Kaylee, you helped out here quite a bit in puttin' our little humpty-dumpty-Serenity back together again, mind lettin' me know what you coulda messed up?" Mal demanded, staring at the girl.  
Kaylee smiled blissfully, her cheerful demeanor untouched. "Can't say, Capt'n! I spent all o-my time in the engine room! Best be asking Jayne here, he was workin' on the outer parts."  
"Was not!" Jayne protested quickly, dodging his eyes between the Captain and Kaylee. Mal raised his eyebrows.  
"Well… say I was, does it mean I'm in trouble?" Jayne tried again, lowering his head some.  
Mal took on a mockingly friendly face. "Of course not sweet pea, as long as you din't cause me to lose a piece of my ship!"  
"We-Well naw I didn't, Mal! I was just workin' on the outer guns with you, is all! You remember, we hauled the top gun off there – the one that we put on to make us be lookin' like Reavers – and then I just went to get the read of the weapons back onto the ship see, remember? I was carryin - "  
"Okay, okay! I didn't need my life history! Did you break my god damn ship or not?" Mal interrupted Jayne's sputtering, starting to get impatient.  
"No Capt'n, not me! The only one workin' on the outer parts without you around was Zo-"  
Jayne cut himself off when he looked at Zoe, who had gone almost unnoticed by the crew (save River, Inara and Kaylee), and who was still staring blankly ahead.  
"Zoe…" Jayne finished stupidly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Mal looked over at his colleague, a flash of pity striking his eyes before his face turned stern once more. "Well, Zoe. Can you tell me - "  
"It was just a piece of extra armor, Captain. A patch up that I put on top, just in case. It wasn't really required Sir, but since we had the material I put it on. It won't do your ship any harm."  
Zoe said all this is in a monotone, the way she normally spoke to Mal, with an official air to her, but her eyes never left the blank space to which she was staring.

For a moment, everyone was silent, all staring at Zoe, who didn't even seem to notice their presence. It was Mal who broke the tension by squaring his shoulders and saying: "Well thanks, Zo! Next time we have a dilemma about a piece of _my_ ship, as you called it, flying off into space, I'll make sure to _ask_ you first, since apparently, you can't speak up for yourself!"  
Zoe's face showed no reaction, nor did she even shrug when she responded, "Sorry Captain. Won't happen again."  
And with that she rose and walked out of the cargo bay and up the rickety stairs, making for her bunk. Mal let out a quick sigh and followed after her, while the rest of them looked at one another awkwardly.

Zoe's boots clunked against the grated stairs and floor as she made her way to her bunk. Her gaze continued to be blank, but her stance was hard, terse. A warrior.  
She pushed the door open, revealing the room which she used to share with Wash, and her eyes flickered with life. A strangled, sad life.  
She was about to turn and leave when Mal appeared at the door behind her, his lips pressed into a thin line. Zoe raised her head and looked him in the eye, leaning back slightly, just wanted to get out of the room that she found herself in.  
"Yes, Sir?" She asked, since the Captain hadn't said anything himself.  
Mal sighed, relaxed his frame, and looked around before placing a hand on the wall beside him.  
"Since when do you call Serenity my ship, Zoe?"  
Zoe continued to look at him, but her defense was building back up, and she merely replied: "It is your ship, Captain."  
"Well – yes. Yes she is. But since when is she just _my_ ship? You know just as much as I do that Serenity is more than that. She's a home. A home that you live in."  
Mal looked at the room behind her, trying to make a point, and that's what lost the battle for him. Zoe saw what he was trying to imply, that the bunk that she turned her back on had her mark all over it.  
And his.

_"Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction."  
"We live in a space ship, dear"_

Zoe frowned slightly before regaining composure.  
"I'm going to be needing another bunk, Captain."  
Mal was startled, taking a step back, his brow furrowing. "Another bun – but Zoe, the only one we've got left is that tiny little room where Shepherd used to sleep, and we was plannin' and having some customers in there. You've got yourself a perfectly fine bunk right here – "  
"I'll have Shepherd's. If we take on any others, I'll give it to 'em."  
And with that, she slipped out, walking with the same official-like stance as she had before.  
Mal looked after her and hung his head, before looking into the room.  
It had always been the most decorated room in Serenity, the most homely. Everyone had seen Wash and Zoe like a portable home – anywhere they went, they made it their own. Together.  
Mal let out a sad breath. "Guess she can't do the same when they ain't together anymore…"

And with that, he shut the door.


	2. 3 months past

"Well Doc, I gotta say, I'm thankin' yeah for fixin' my face up so nice and pretty."  
Jayne traced his finger from his right eye, across his nose, to just below his cheek bone on his left side. Just the night before, Mal told them they had a job on one of the outer planets (no surprise there. Even after broadcasting the information they got from Miranda two months ago, there was still honest, and dishonest, work to be done), but had refused to tell them which one. Ends up, the job was located in Jaynestown, as they called it, and Jayne, as per usual, got himself into a little brawl that almost cost him his right eye and nose.

"I wouldn't say he fixed it – don't think it's possible to fix that face of yours in this 'vers, Jayne." Mal said, causing everyone at the dining table to burst into their usual, unhindered laughter. Inara shook her head in mock disgust, putting a hand on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. Zoe smirked and rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Kaylee threw her a worried glance, but soon went back to joking with the rest of the crew. Although Zoe had improved in the past two months, partaking in conversation and even looking into people's eyes now and then, they still hadn't heard a laugh, or even a chuckle, come from her lips. And she was still sleeping in the Shepherd's old bunk, going into her old room only when necessary, avoiding the piloting area, and keeping to the cargo bay, the dining room, and surprisingly, the engine room. But when she did get called to see the Captain while he was driving Serenity, her eyes remained firmly ahead of her, never looking down to see the old assortment of dinosaurs and plastic palm trees that made up Wash's "This Land".

Jayne chewed his food obnoxiously and rolled his eyes, and Kaylee reached beside her to grab Simon's hand, smiling at him happily, as Inara and Mal just looked at each other with obvious love in their eyes. This wiped the smirk clean off of Zoe's face, and when she looked down, she saw what they were having for dinner:  
soup.  
"I'm gonna so see if there is any repairin' needed in the cargo bay or the engine room since last night, Captain. Your ship took a bit of damage when we were trying to pull Jayne out of that brawl."  
Mal looked at Zoe as she rose and nodded his head tersely before she left the dining room. No one else seemed to notice her reaction to Kaylee and Simon, and continued in their merry conversation, except for River, who was staring sadly at the Zoe's seat.

But suddenly, her eyes grew wide, and a smile spread across her face. "Wash…" She whispered. The entire table stopped to look at her. They may have gotten used to Zoe's behavior, but hearing that name still made all of their hearts ache.  
"What did you say, River?" Simon asked, leaning towards his sister.  
"Yeah, and why's she grinning from ear to ear? Gives me the creeps." Jayne asked.  
River shook her head lightly and dropped her smile to a small grin, and replied cheerfully: "Jayne will be washing the dishes tonight!"  
The entire table fell silent, and then burst into laughter.  
"Sorry Jayne, psychic knows best." Mal said, clapping Jayne on the back of his shoulder. "And don't be so jealous – just cause you can't grin anymore after your little run in in Jaynesville, don't mean she can't!"  
Jayne just huffed angrily before grabbing everyone's bowls, including Simon's (which was hardly finished), and brought them to the sink to scrub violently at them.

Meanwhile, Zoe was in the engine room, sitting next to the large piece of machinery that kept Serenity in the air. Her knees were brought up to her chest, and her eyes stared forward at nothing in particular.

_Zoe looked up from her cooking to look at the back of her husband's head, and she smiled. Even if he was turned away from her, she knew that he was sporting a pretty wide grin right about now.  
She scooped some of the hot liquid into a bowl, grabbed a napkin, and placed it in front of him, spoon and all.  
"Mmmm, wife soup! I must've done good."  
Zoe glowed lovingly at him, the memory of knowing that he was with Niska, being tortured, was pushed away momentarily.  
"Yes dear…" she whispered, tucking the napkin into the collar of his shirt. "You done good!"  
Wash grinned even wider as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and wrapped her strong arms around his shoulders.  
Funny, how it seemed like she was trying to protect him, but it was really he who was protecting her, simply by existing…_

Zoe blinked her eyes several times, pushing back the memory as she realized that the object she had been staring at – a pipe – had turned blurry.  
She pushed herself up off the floor and had to force herself not to run, satisfying herself with a fast march, as she made her way to her destination.  
Zoe stared at the door to her and Wash's old bunk. While she had been in several times since she moved into her new room, this time she felt different. She wasn't going in for clothes, or an extra blanket. She was going in to look for him.  
She finally conjured up the courage to reach out to the handle when a hand fell on her shoulder.  
"Zoe, I need to talk to you."  
Zoe let out her breath when she recognized Mal's voice. "Yes Sir," she replied, turning to face him. "What is it you'd like to say?"  
Mal cocked his head toward the door, "Can we go inside?"  
"I'd rather not, Sir."  
"And I'd rather we did." Came his reply, but he waited and allowed her to turn around and open the door on her own.

Zoe avoiding paying particular attention to anything in the room, letting her eyes shift across objects without actually taking the image in, before looking back at the Captain, who was closing the door behind them.  
"What is it you'd like to tell me, Sir?" She asked, assuming her warrior stance.  
"We're on our way to Mr. Universe's moon."  
Zoe's eyes widened, her mouth even dropped slightly, when Mal gave her the news.  
"And… and why are we going there, Sir?" She asked, exasperated, trying to keep her cool. "There's nothin' left on that moon but Mr. Universe's old machinery."  
"I believe there is something else there too, Zoe, if I do recall."  
Zoe closed her mouth and raised her head, "I do believe I recall something, or someone, else there as well, Sir. But it does not explain why we are returning."  
"I have a job there."  
Zoe almost rolled her eyes, but instead pursed her lips even tighter. "A job, Sir? On an empty moon?"  
"It's not a paid job. It's something that I – we - must do."  
"And what is that, Sir?"  
"We have to dig up Wash's body."  
Zoe eyes grew even wider as she stepped back, distancing herself from the Captain. His face was hard and decisive – he knew what he had to do. And she knew he couldn't change his mind.  
But she tried anyway.  
"No, Sir."  
"Yes, we will."  
"And why then, Sir? Why would we unbury his body? What good could possibly come of that?"

Mal looked at Zoe in surprise, even if he didn't show it. She rarely questioned him, even after the death of her husband, and got angry even less.  
"We have to renew his coffin."  
"His coffin, Sir?" She asked, almost sarcastically. "What was wrong with the first one?"  
Mal shrugged. "Nothing, but we have to replace the preservative box."  
"It's been two months, Sir. If we have to replace the preservative box every two months, I believe we might have some trouble."  
"Which is why I have gotten a new one that will last longer, which we will replace the old one with. Do we have a problem, Zoe?" He asked in an official, commander-like manner.  
Zoe's mouth shut, and her eyes turned cool.  
"No problem, Sir."  
Mal nodded before exiting the room, closing the metal door behind him.

Once she was alone, Zoe's eyes began to dart back and forth, brimming with tears that had been waiting to fall down her cheeks for two months. She reached out with her arms as she stumbled onto their bed, and she crawled under the blankets, clutching them in her hands…

"_Here lies my beloved Zoe… my autumn flower,"  
She let out a little laugh as he spanked her lightly through the blankets, resting his hand comfortably on her thigh.  
"somewhat less attractive, now that she's all corpsified and gross…"_

Zoe turned to look at Wash's side of the bed, rubbing her hand up and down the blanket, before grabbing his pillow, pulling it close to her chest, and letting out a sob.


	3. Revisiting the memorial

"Alright people, we're not going to be here for long. We get on, we get off, do you understand? What I have to do will only take about an hour – in that time, you can think about repairing up Serenity – she's lookin' a bit on the bumped up side."  
Mal put his hands on his waist as he looked at the rest of the crew. Simon and Kaylee were holding hands and smiling, River was grinning deviously, Jayne was chewing on something (what is was could range from a piece of wood to leftovers from his breakfast), Inara stood like a goddess in her flowing, pale blue dress, and Zoe was standing a couple of steps away from them, her arms crossed, head held high, hair pulled into a tight pony tail (the look she had been sporting for 3 months now).  
"We've had some distractions on our way to this god damned moon, and I need those distraction to be cleaned off my ship. Kaylee: there was some wirin' issues back there that caused that lovely little fire about a week back, get on it. Zoe: Serenity's armor has lost a bit of its shine and there are some broken pieces. Do me a favor and get it all fixed up, without letting any fall off into the middle of space like that time. Jayne: … you can go polish your guns or something. Inara, River, Doc: you're comin' with me. Simon: grab the preservation coffin."

Inara and Simon looked at each other with confused expressions, but River kept her grin and almost skipped to Mal's side. Zoe, however, was not so compliant.  
"Shouldn't I be coming along, Sir?" She asked, an angry tone already creeping into her voice.  
"No you should not." Mal responded, turning around and beginning to walk out of the cargo bar.  
Zoe followed close behind him, her footsteps heady. "Excuse me, Sir, but I believe I have a place where you're gonna be goin'."  
Mal stopped and turned to face her, crossing his arms across his chest. "And you have a place here, with Serenity, with _my ship_, who needs serious damage control! Besides, I can only take so many. I'll need Doc to reload the preservative, River so that I can keep her out of trouble, and Inara to watch River so that she keeps out of trouble. Do we have an understanding, Zoe?"  
Zoe didn't even bother to respond, but turned on her heel, grabbed her equipment, and walked around to the side of the ship, getting to work.

Once the four were out of earshot, Inara caught up to Mal and slapped him across the back of his head.  
"Ouuuchh!" Mal complained, rubbing his scalp. "What was that for?"  
"You could've have been a _bit _more understanding, don't you think?" Inara scolded, glaring at him. But before Mal could even open his mouth to respond, River did for him:  
"No he couldn't!" She almost sang, a look of self-satisfaction on her face.  
Simon looked at River, his gaze confused and unsure, but Mal just nodded his head to her, and she nodded back.  
"You'll find out soon enough." She said to her brother, patting him on the shoulder maternally before following after Mal and Inara with a wistful expression on her face.

After walking for a few minutes, they came to the small memorial site that they set up for their friends. Without even saying anything, all four of them took a moment, just looking sadly at the gravestones, and the videos that were being projected onto them. The only one that remained smiling was River. Even Mal looked gloomy, so much so that Inara entwined her fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked at her and kissed the top of her head, before taking a deep breath.  
"Alright, let's do what we came here to do."  
Simon pulled the new preservation coffin over to the gravesite while Mal took out a tiny remote with only one button. He pressed it, and the earth covering Wash's body began to shift to the side, revealing a sleek, silver, oval-shaped coffin under the surface.

Up on a hill a short distance from the four stood Zoe. She had waited until Kaylee and Jayne were back inside the ship before sneaking off, needing to see him again. She watched as the dirt moved off of the coffin, and watched as Mal and Simon lifted it out of the ground. When Mal went to open it, she caught her breath.  
Even though the Reavers had invaded their ship before coming to ambush them, they hadn't taken the time to mutilate Wash's body, or take much from Serenity. They had live, human flesh to feed on, and that was more tempting than one already dead. And so, Zoe saw her dead husband's body laying in the coffin, near perfect, save for a hole about 5 cm in diameter.  
Fresh tears dropped from her eyelids as she stared, painfully, at his restful face, until she couldn't take anymore, and made her way back to camp, where Kaylee was secretly watching with pity in her eyes.

In the meantime, Mal, Inara, Simon, and River looked down on Wash's body, Inara looking pained, Simon with a professional expression on (being the doctor), Mal unreadable, and River ever-smirking.  
"Well then, let's get him into his new coffin."  
He motioned for River to open the new silver box before taking hold of Wash's shoulders, and Simon his feet, and lifting him into it. As he wiped his hands from the bit of dirt that remained on the old coffin, Simon's brow furrowed. River giggled.  
"What is it, Simon?" Inara asked, trying to see what he saw in the old coffin.  
"Captain…" he murmured, not looking up from the preservation box. "Why did we change coffins, again?"  
Mal stopped wiping his hands, and looked at the doctor.  
"Would you like the real reason, or the reason I gave Kaylee, Jayne, and Zoe?"  
Inara gasped while River tried to stifle her laughter.  
"The real reason, if you may." Simon replied politely.  
"Well, the truth is, that preservation capsule was pretty damn good," Mal began.  
"Yes, I know, which is why I was ask - "  
"Ah, ah, ah, let me finish!" Mal said, shaking his finger. "Now, it's so damn good, that it preserves all of the healthy organs in the dead person's body, am I right?"  
He raised his eyebrows at the doctor, waiting for him to answer this rhetorical question.  
"Yes…" Simon said, hesitantly, worried about where this was going.  
Mal smiled. "Well, so that means the only thing wrong with Wash here is that he's got a great big hole in his heart, and maybe some torn up arteries here or there, and a few broken bones. Honestly, I don't know the details."  
"Actually, I placed the bones and put a regenerative liquid on them before we cleaned and buried him, so those are fine." Simon interrupted.  
Mal's mouth hung open for a second, before he shrugged and moved on.  
"So there you go, just a hole through the heart and a few arteries!"  
"_Just _a hole through the heart?" Inara stated sarcastically, not appreciating Mal's light attitude while they stood over their old friend's body.  
"Shh!" River demanded, glaring at Inara.

"See, River here knows what I'm talking about, because River here understands me, and my mind, sometimes more than I like her to. Because that means she knows full well why we came about to this lonely little moon, and it means that she knows the true reason for our little mission to Jaynestown."  
Inara and Simon widened their eyes in disbelief.  
"Yes, I know, we picked up some mighty fine goods there. Transported building equipment to an outer planet so that they could rebuild their town after Reavers dumped a bomb on them. But I also picked up a little something else – "  
"A heart."  
Everyone turned to look at Simon, who was standing still, eyes wide, lips pressed together, staring at Mal with an expression that was between worship and fear.  
"A heart… Mal, you don't think you can…" Inara started, not sure how to finish.  
"Oh woah, woah! I certainly can't! These hands are for shootin' – and for holdin' - " he added, seeing Inara's expression, "But Doc here can."  
Once again, all eyes were on Simon, who now looked a bit more fearful than worshipping.  
"Heart transplants once someone is already dead is a complicated – "  
"You've done complicated." Mal stated.  
"and almost _impossible _procedure!" Simon finished.

"But not for you." River said suddenly, still smiling. "And not for me. We can do it, Simon. I've seen it."  
Simon looked at River, and his faced calmed somewhat, now only slightly frightened, and not on the border of hysteria.  
"Ya see?" Mal said cheerfully, "She's seen it happen, so, that's how it's gonna go! I've got all the tools you'll need. Got them of the guy who took those building materials – is good friends with a doctor, he is, from Ariel. Got me the heart in a fine little preservation tank and all the tools required for the heart-replacin'. We've just got to get Wash here back onto the ship, and tonight, when the rest of 'em are knocked out, you're going to do the impossible."


	4. Who's on the ship?

Zoe wiped her eyes with her shoulder, pushing the dust out of them, and sealing one last piece of metal to Serenity's armor. The ship gleamed more than it had the day the Captain had bought it, and Zoe looked at her work, feeling the tiniest bit of pride.  
"Lookin' good there, Zo!" Kaylee called, strutting over in her overalls and red tank top. "Serenity's lookin' mighty perdy!"  
Zoe smiled at her friend and ran a hand on the sleek armor. "Yeah, she sure does, don't she?"  
"You wanna be comin' inside to have some lunch? I'm thinkin' the Cap and the others will be on their way back by now."  
Zoe's smile faltered for a fraction of a second at the mention of Mal, Simon, Inara and Simon, the image of Wash's face flashing into her mind. But she shook it off, and nodded at Kaylee, following her back into the cargo bay, and up to the dining room.

Once they had some food ready, the two woman sat down and dug in, happy to just be in each other's company (and especially happy that Jayne was still busy with his guns). They talked, and even laughed, but Zoe could tell something was on Kaylee's mind.  
"You know, Zoe…" Kaylee started, dropping her gaze to her fork.  
"Yeah, Kaylee?" Zoe asked casually, taking another forkful of food.  
"It don't bother you that… that Simon and I hold hands and such, right?" Kaylee asked, unable to look into the older woman's eyes.  
Zoe's expression froze, her hand stopping mid-way to her mouth. Her eyes darted to look at Kaylee, who seemed to have shrunk to half her size, with a sad expression on her face. Seeing the girl look so worried made Zoe give her a sad smile, and put a hand on her shoulder. Kaylee looked up at her, looking ready to apologize for something she never did.  
"Of course not, Kaylee."  
Kaylee's eyebrows went up a bit, and a glimmer of light re-entered her eyes.  
"He's a good man, you best be hanging onto his hand so he don't get lost."  
They both chuckled, and Kaylee's genuine smile returned to her face. "Yeah, or so he don't run away!"  
Zoe shook her head good naturedly, and went back to her food.  
"I just…" Kaylee started again, "I just want ya to know I'm here for you, Zo. I can't imagine… y'know… what it felt li – feels like… but y'know. Yeah." Kaylee muttered, staring hard at her food once again.  
This time, Zoe didn't look up, but just said: "I know, hon. I know. Don't you worry."

"What? You made food without me? I bet there's none left!" Jayne yelled, barging into the dining room, breaking the melancholy mood. Kaylee rolled her eyes but kept her cheerful disposition, "Aw, don't be so damn grumpy, Jayne! There's a plate right there for ya!"  
"Hope there's some plates for us too!"  
Zoe's head shot up when Mal, Inara, and River walked into the room, grabbing their seats, waiting to be served by a grumpy Jayne.  
Kaylee looked around, "Hey, where's my Simon?"  
Zoe looked at her tenderly, now finding it endearing how the two spoke of each other.  
"He'll be around." Mal replied. "He's just gotta load the preservation box into his little personal clinic. Gotta keep it with the other 'medical supplies', he said."  
Inara gave Mal a look, but no one bothered to notice, too immersed in their food and in the jokes that they started making about Jayne becoming their own personal housewife.

But the joking came to a sudden halt when the crew heard a sound from outside.  
"Did anyone else hear that, or is ma mind playin' tricks on me again?" Jayne asked, looking around suspiciously.  
"As much as I could believe the latter, Jayne, I'm thinkin' we all heard that." Mal replied, getting a chuckle from around the table.  
"Sounds like an engine of some sort…" Kaylee contemplated, obviously trying to locate which exact engine it was based solely off of its sound.  
"Sounds like Alliance." Zoe stated, getting up and walking to the pilot's area with Mal to look out the window. Sure enough, a couple of jets with the Alliance symbol on them were about to park about 60 feet away.

Mal grabbed the intercom, yelling: "River, get to the pilot's area, now!"  
But River was already behind them, and silently strapped herself into her seat. "Get us out of here fast, got it." She whispered.  
"Zoe, go with Jayne to the cargo bay, Alliance might be trying to get in."  
Zoe nodded and ran off to get Jayne. They both grabbed their favorite weapons (Jayne's Vira, and Zoe's Winchester Model 1892 rifle), and hurried to the cargo bay, where they stationed themselves at the opening, ready to shoot or to close the opening before they got into space.  
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, get ready for take-off." Mal called over the intercom, giving Zoe the cue to shut the opening and get back to the pilot's area.

Serenity lifted into the air and shot into space, just as Zoe and Jayne got to the rest of the crew. Neither of the Alliance jets followed.  
"But… why aren't they following…" Simon murmured, voicing everyone's thoughts.  
"And why is there a parachute on the ground right where our ship was parked?" Mal grumbled as the floor of the moon eventually disappeared, and black, star-dotted space took its place.  
"You don't think one of them Alliance got in, do ya?" Jayne asked, looking suspicious again. "I mean, Zoe and I got to the cargo bay pretty darn fast, but if there was a 'chute, there's no sayin' if there's a spy in here or not."  
Mal thought for a few minutes before replying.  
"You're right Jayne, there is no saying. So let's be safe, shall we? Zoe: you'll take the cargo bay, Kaylee: you go and lock up that engine room, then go with Zoe, Jayne: stay with River as she pilots, Inara, Simon and I are gonna go guard the infirmary."  
Kaylee looked at them, confused. "The infirmary? What for?"  
"There's lots of valuable stuff in there, Kaylee. Not to mention a preservation coffin I got from an outer planet, _illegally_. Best it be seen after. Now go ahead with Zoe. Oh, and if anyone sees this Alliance guy, shoot him."

The crew split up, each taking their respective posts, ready to stay up through the night until they were sure no one was there. Zoe was almost relieved for the distraction, since it was becoming harder and harder for her to keep Wash's face out of her mind. Memory after memory invaded, always threatening to bring tears, and only battle could stop them.

"_Is there any way I'm going to get out of this with honor and dignity?"  
"You're pretty much down to ritual suicide, lambie-toes"_

Once her and Kaylee got to the cargo bay, they stood in the middle of the space, guns at the ready, looking around with watchful eyes. Well, Zoe was. Kaylee hung her arms at her sides and stared at Zoe, happy to have her for protection. She remembered the last time a member of the Alliance was on ship, and she didn't want that experience to happen again. Meanwhile, Jayne was complaining that he had to stick with River, groaning about how he wanted to be in the cargo bay, where the action was probably going to happen, but River was smiled to herself, listening to a conversation that Jayne had no idea of.

This conversation was taking place between Inara, Simon, and Mal, who had gotten to Simon's mini hospital, and were getting Wash's body ready for the transplant.  
"Why did you bring us, Mal?" Simon asked as he got his tools ready on a small table next to Wash. "I mean, I'm the doctor, so you had to tell me about all this, but why River?"  
"And why me?" Inara asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Mal shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah well, River was gonna know anyway. I'm pretty sure she knew before I even thought of it. And Inara – well… you never would have forgiven me for lying to you."  
Inara contemplated for a second. "True." she concluded, accepting the explanation.  
"Now look Doc, I'm gonna be standing right outside this door, cause I don't want no Alliance coming in here. Now, in case they try, and I have to shoot 'em down, you two have got to be ready to cover up that body incase Zoe or any of the others decide to run on in here to help me out."  
"I'll keep a sheet ready, and I'll close the blinds." Inara replied instantaneously, having already thought of it.  
"Well… good." Mal said, nodding, satisfied.  
"And why… did you not tell Zoe, about this?" Simon asked.  
Mal looked at him sadly. "As you said Doc, this is a complicated-almost-impossible-procedure. Zoe's broken already, what would it be like for her if I gave her the hope of gettin' her husband back, and then it didn't work?"  
Simon looked down, not wanting to imagine the state Zoe would be in, and pulled out the preservation tank with the heart in it.

"What if the pulmonary veins are too damaged?" Simon asked to himself.  
"The heart has some of those too." Mal replied, giving Simon a start.  
"How… how could it have pulm - "  
"Something about circular veins, feeding into each other… I don't know, medical mumbo-jumbo. You'll figure it out. Just do it."  
Then Mal walked outside the door and stood guard, gun at his side, legs firmly apart.  
Simon opened the tank with the heart and saw what Mal was talking about. The pulmonary veins came out of the left atrium and circled around, reattaching to the left atrium so that the blood in the heart could be pumped in and out of it. The great vessels were also intact, so that no matter how much damage was done around Wash's heart, Simon would have enough vein to suture it into place.

Simon took a deep breath, picked up his scalpel, and began to cut into Wash's chest.  
"Do you mind if I say the procedure out loud? It will help me stay on track, and calm." He asked Inara, who stood beside Wash on the opposite side of the table.  
"Of course." She replied, looking down at the doctor with kindness in her eyes.  
"Thank you. I'm going to begin by performing a median sternotomy, which will show me the mediastinum. There. Now I'm going to have to open the pericardium…"  
And it went on like this, Simon performing the transplant step by step, Inara listening, while the others stood watch, waiting to be ambushed at any time.

**PLEASE NOTE:**

**I am no doctor, so yes, I did get the information that I used regarding heart transplants off of wikipedia.**

**If it's wrong, I'm sorry. Just take it as it is :)**


	5. Performing the impossible

A few hours passed, and still there was no sign of any Alliance member on the ship. Jayne was voicing his doubts to River that there even was anyone else, while she continued to listen to what was happening in the infirmary, where Simon was beginning to suture in Wash's new heart. Zoe and Kaylee remained in the middle of the cargo bay, both a bit more relaxed than before, but still had their guns at the ready.

"What was that?" Kaylee whispered suddenly, looking at a crate in the far right corner of the vast room. Zoe heightened her rifle and silently walked over to the crate, before launching forward, pointing her gun behind it.  
No one.  
"Nothing, Kaylee. But someone was here that wasn't us." Zoe said, looking at the footprint in the dust behind the crate. She walked over to the intercom near the doors, ready to report what she saw to the Captain.  
"Captain." She said, waiting for a response.  
"What's going on over there, Zoe?" Mal responded, perfectly calm.  
"Footprint, Sir. And not one of ours. Someone is here alright, and they're not here for any cargo, Sir."  
"Understood."  
"Shall we come and assist you, Sir?"  
"No, stay at the cargo bay. They might come back there later."  
"Yes Sir."

Mal put the intercom back into his pocket and hoisted his gun, waiting. Suddenly, he heard Simon swearing in Chinese. Something was wrong.  
"What is it?" He said, putting his head into the door of the infirmary where Wash was lying, Inara a few steps back, and Simon, wrist-deep in Wash's chest, seemed to be panicking.  
"I said what's going on, Doc!" He demanded as quietly as possible.  
"Blood spilt out of the heart before I could suture the veins in… I need suction!"  
Inara hurried over to Simon's side and grabbed an instrument, suctioning the blood out of his chest.  
"Alright, alright. It's okay. Almost done…" Simon mumbled, almost to himself, eyes set on Wash's heart.  
"Well that's fantastic, 'cause – "  
But Mal stopped dead. He had heard something shift outside.  
"What was that?" Inara mouthed, daring not to speak. Mal just shook his head, and began to slowly creep out of the infirmary. And there, around the corner in one of the connecting hallways, was a shadow of a man.

Mal crouched low, tiptoeing over to the corner. Then he threw himself around, right on top of an unsuspecting Alliance man. He put up a struggle, but Mal came prepared. Taking the handcuffs, he secured the man's hands behind his back, got up, and pointed his gun at the man's head.  
"You guys have _got _to stop trying to get River and Simon! When are you gonna figure out that they are part of my crew and I am not gonna give 'em up so easily!"  
The man spat. "I'm not here for them! I'm here for a heart. A stolen heart."  
Mal looked at the man in disbelief, and then he smirked, "I have no stolen heart. It was a gift, and you best believe it."  
"It was stolen from the hospital in Ariel – "  
"And it was given, to us. We didn't steal it, so why are you on my ship?"  
The man didn't answer, just glared back up at Mal, who pulled the intercom out of his pocket.  
"Alright everyone, coast is clear, I've got him."  
"Coast is clear, Capt'n? There's only one, for sure?" Came Kaylee's reply.  
Mal looked at the man. "Only one of you, right? And if you lie to me, I've got a special bullet saved for you!"  
The man nodded angrily.  
"How can I be sure that you're tellin' me the truth?" Mal asked, bringing the gun closer to the man's head, who continued to glare.  
"My orders are in the left pocket of my vest."  
Mal leaned over and pulled out the electronic device, which produced a holographic text, explaining that this man, Mr. Jinton, was to infiltrate Serenity and reclaim the stolen heart with no assistance, due to the fact that two would bring more attention than one.  
"Good 'nough for me. Yup, only one Kaylee, all is well. You and Zoe can head on over to Jayne and River, and get Zoe to pilot for a bit for me, would ya? And send River down to the infirmary. I could use a psychic, just in case."  
"Yessir, Capt'n!"  
"There was only him." Came River's voice. "You can lock him up in Zoe's bunk, he won't get out."  
"Thanks, River." Mal replied, putting the intercom into his pocket once more, and grinning at Mr. Jinton, who now looked half-terrified.

After dragging the the guy into Zoe's room and stationing Jayne in there with him (to Jayne's delight), Mal returned to the infirmary, only to find Inara, Simon, and River hovering over Wash's body.  
Wash's closed up body.  
Mal looked at all three of them. "So, what's going on?"  
"It worked." River and Simon said together, River smirking, Simon looking troubled.  
"Well, if it worked then why the long face there, Doc?" Mal asked, not allowing himself to accept success with the medic looking so worried.  
"When he wakes up… isn't he going to be confused?" Simon asked.  
"How so?" Mal replied, guessing at where Simon was getting to, and having no idea how to answer.  
"He's been dead for 3 months. I mean… how is he – "  
"He hasn't been dead."

Now everyone stared at River, even Inara, in her ever-composed state, looked delirious.  
"I can see the future because it is how it's meant to be. It wasn't meant to be that Wash died. There are many who aren't supposed to die that do. They go to a special place, where time has no meaning. They don't feel it or see it, because they can be brought back to life, if the right steps are taken. You took the steps, Mal. You were supposed to, meant to. That's why I saw it. That's why Wash can come back and not even know three months has passed."  
Everyone looked at River in disbelief.  
"But… then what about the others, who die and aren't supposed to? They just stay there forever?" Inara asked.  
"Oh no." River responded, still smiling. "If so much time goes by and no one rescues them, then they can go on too. Wash didn't choose to go on yet. He's still here."

"Wait a minute…" Mal said, looking at River with accusing eyes now. Inara, who was worried he was going to do something rash, put a hand on his chest, holding him back. "If you know all this… then why the hell didn't you tell me where that Alliance guy was?"  
Inara and Simon both relaxed, and River just giggled.  
"I knew you were going to find him."  
"Well - … it still coulda helped." Mal protested, but he was smirking now.  
"How long until Wash wakes up?" Inara asked, looking at the body, now a living body, which, as they noticed with happy surprise, was breathing.  
"I'd give him about an hour. The blood has to circulate a few times through his body, and the brain needs time to adjust. But he'll be around in an hour." Simon responded.

Inara's face broke into a wide smile as tears filled her eyes, and Mal wrapped an arm around her. River smiled at Simon, taking his hand and whispering into his ear: "I told you you could do it."  
Mal smiled cheerfully, and then looked at Simon.  
"Thanks, Doc. Now look, if you could stay here until he wakes up, that would be well. And when he does, I want you to get him all calmed down, answer any questions he has, and then I want you to call me on the intercom. I think I know who should be the first to see him alive, besides you."


	6. Awake, alive, and in love

"He's going to wake up now."  
Simon looked at Wash as River drifted out of the room, not wanting to spoil Mal's plans of having Zoe be the first to see Wash alive again.  
Just as River was out of eyesight, Wash took a deep breath and opened his yes.  
"I soar!"  
Simon looked at him with wide eyes, amazed, despite that he was expecting this, that the man was really alive.  
"What… what did you say?" Simon stammered.  
"I'm a leaf in the wind, what now I … soar…" Wash was looking around the infirmary now, confusion written all over his face.  
"What… what happened?"  
Simon sat down on a stool beside the bed, and looked Wash in the eye.  
"I'm going to have to ask you to suspend your disbelief for a moment."  
Wash looked at him, and then shrugged. "We have a psychic on board. My disbelief has been suspended. Hit me."  
"Well, that's the thing… you were hit." Simon began.  
Wash furrowed his eyebrows.  
"You were hit by a Reaver harpoon, and you died instantly."  
Wash let out a breathy laugh, but Simon looked dead serious.  
"But… but I'm alive." He said, his face going back to confusion.  
"Yes, you are. Because your heart was the only damaged organ, and the rest were so well preserved, Mal was able to get you a new heart, and I… re-inserted it."  
Wash let out a puff of air, and his eyes dazed off into space.  
"Well, alright. So you brought me back from the dead. Thanks, Doc! But ah – how long have I been dead? A couple of hours? Days?"  
"Three months."  
"Three MONTHS?" Wash exclaimed, going to sit up.  
"Yes, but please, don't get up too quickly. Your body is still re-adjusting." Simon placed a gentle hand on Wash's chest, who nodded and slowly put his legs over the side of the bed.

"Alright… so I've been dead. For three months. And you guys gave me a new heart, and… here I am?" Wash asked. Simon nodded to every statement.  
Wash's expression was tense, but then he smiled, let out a chuckle, and relaxed.  
"Well, lucky me then!"  
Simon chuckled, exasperated. "Yes! Well, I will let the captain know you are awake, so that you can – "  
"Wait."  
Simon turned back from the intercom, looking at Wash's face, which had suddenly turned grim.  
"What is it?" He asked, worried that something had gone wrong.  
Wash looked at Simon with a pained expression.

"Zoe… Zoe, is she okay?"  
Simon smiled. "Yes, she's fine. Well – less than fine, since you… died… She's not the same without you, Wash."  
Wash looked at him, a smile gracing his lips after being told Zoe was okay.  
"She really does love you."  
Wash smiled even wider after hearing that. "But… where is she? Shouldn't she be here?"  
He looked around excitedly, as if he was going to turn and see her right beside him.  
"That's why I'm calling the Captain. He didn't want to tell her about the procedure incase… something went wrong. But she'll be the first to see you, after me, of course."  
Wash looked at him, and Simon looked back, until Wash gave him an expectant look.  
"What?" Simon asked.  
"Well, call Mal! I wanna see the love of my life!" Wash demanded.  
"Oh, right…" Simon chuckled.  
"Captain?"  
"He's up?" Mal asked.  
"He is, Sir." Simon replied, smiling.  
"Alright. I'm gonna go get her from her bunk. Give us a few minutes."

"A few minutes will never seem so long as it does now…" Wash muttered, still smiling.

"Sorry, Zoe. Gotta guard the Alliance guy in here. Yer gonna hav'ta go back to your old bunk."  
Zoe closed her eyes, annoyed. She was exhausted, and she knew that going back to her old bunk would mean not getting anything remotely close to sleep.  
"We could move him to another bunk, Jayne." She said in a monotone, not in the mood to argue.  
"Naw we can't, Captains orders!" Jayne retorted, hunching his shoulders.  
Zoe glared at him before turning and walking towards her room. She looked angry, but inside, she was torn apart.

"_I think this is not enough. Not enough for two. But sufficient perhaps, for one. Ah! You now hav – "  
"Him!"  
Zoe pointed to Wash, her husband, the person she loved most. His tortured face broke her heart, and it showed in her eyes to those who knew her. She would never let this happen to him again.  
"I'm sorry, you were going to ask me to choose, right? Do you wanna finish?"_

"Now I'm the one being tortured, Wash…" she thought to herself, "come and save me…"  
And just as she arrived at the bunk, Mal walked down the hallway towards her.  
"Captain." She said, standing up straight.  
"Zoe, follow me, I have something to show you."  
He turned back around and she followed, grateful, once again, for the distraction of official business.  
"Something to show me, Sir?"  
"Something that will explain a lot of my behavior this past little while."  
Zoe was confused, but she dismissed it.  
After a few minutes, they arrived at the infirmary, where the blinds were drawn, and Mal turned to face her.  
"Now Zoe, you've gotta go in there. Simon will explain everything to you – "  
"I'm not injured, Sir."  
"I know, Zoe. This is nothin' medical, just trust me, okay?"  
Zoe nodded her head.  
"Go on then."

Wash heard their footsteps and his heart – his new heart – picked up several beats. Then he heard Mal's voice, talking to Zoe, telling her to come inside.  
When she replied, he didn't even hear the words, just her tone. It was the defensive tone, and it was sad. Wash's eyes turned pained when he heard her speak like that, and he was about to get up to go see her when Simon put a hand on his chest again, shaking his head.

"Go on then."  
Mal walked back the way that he came, leaving Zoe in the hallway. Zoe didn't look after him, her eyes didn't even move from where his face was a moment ago. Eventually, she took a breath. Whatever this was, she might as well get it over with.  
She took the 4 steps to the door of the infirmary, and then turned and looked straight at Simon, who was smiling. Zoe stood, silent, eyes fixed on the man, and then his gaze fell to the bed beside him.  
Zoe followed his gaze, until her eyes fell upon the man lying in the bed that she hadn't noticed when she first looked inside.

Wash looked at her, his mouth in a wide, open smile. But her facial expression didn't change, she stayed stock-still, her body tense. His smile faltered a little as they continued to look at each other.

Then, Zoe's eyes clouded over, tears brimming. She opened her mouth to take a shaky breath, and her hands went clammy.  
"Wa…Wash…" She whispered, her voice breaking through the tears. Wash's smile grew again, and he opened his arms, motioning for her to come forward. But Zoe shook her head, wiped away her tears, and glared at Simon.  
"What is this?" She asked sternly, anger in her voice.  
Simon's smile faded, and his face turned afraid. "Wha-What?"  
"I asked you WHAT IS THIS? A hologram? An illusion? What, Simon? What _is this?_"_  
_Zoe was almost yelling now, accusing Simon through clenched teeth, while Wash sat in confusion.  
"Zoe…"  
Zoe's angry face melted, and tears started falling again when she looked at Wash.  
"Baby… it's me." He murmured, holding out his hand.  
"It can't be you. You're gone, I saw you – I saw it!" She cried, putting a hand on her heart.  
"I know but they fixed me up! Babe… they got me a new heart. I'm okay, it's me!"  
Zoe's mouth fell open, tears falling onto her tongue.  
"It's true." Simon said quietly. "Mal got him a heart… that's why we did that trade in Jaynestown, and that's why we went to change the preservation box on Mr. Universe's moon. I promise you Zoe, it's Wash."

Zoe stared at Wash while Simon spoke, whose smile was gone, his eyes pleading, his hand outstretched.  
"Baby…" She mumbled, as she slouched forward.  
Wash nodded, a small smile coming back to his lips.  
"Wash…!" She cried, took 2 long strides, pushed his hand away from her, put both of her hands on the sides of his face and pressed her lips against his. He smiled against her lips and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer to him.  
She ran one of her hands through his hair and kissed his lips over and over again.  
Her husband, her love, her Wash. Alive.  
"I thought I lost you…" She whispered between kisses. "I thought you were gone..."  
He put his hand on her cheek and pushed her face away. "I know baby, but I'm here…"  
He kissed her gently.  
"I'm right here."  
"Never leave me, never leave me again…"

Wash chuckled as she kissed his face, and lifting him into a sitting position, she got on the bed, wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his shoulders, and buried her tear-stained face into his neck.  
"I would never leave you, Zoe. You governed my old heart…"  
She lifted her head and looked at him, their foreheads and noses touching.  
"And you're in charge of the new one too."  
She laughed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead against his, before smiling.  
"You best believe it."

Simon left the couple alone, and stood outside in the hallway, smiling at the words that were being exchanged. It didn't take long before he heard footsteps of people running, and then Kaylee, Jayne, Inara, River, and the Captain appeared.  
Kaylee smiled when she saw him, and skipped up to give him a light kiss. "Whatch'ya smilin' about, Simon? Capt'n said we had to get t'the infirmary quick. What's goin' on?" She asked, as she tried to peer through the blinds.  
"Shhh" he whispered, "just listen."  
And in the silence, everyone could hear Zoe and Wash talking to each other, words mixed with laughter, tears, and kisses.  
Kaylee's smiling face turned into shock, and Simon nodded. "Mal got him a new heart, and I sewed it in. Wash is back."  
Jayne looked stunned, his already slow-moving brain unable to process the information, but then he just shrugged. "So, what, are they gettin' it on in there?"

"You know, we can hear you!"

The whole crowd when tense at the sound of Wash's voice, feeling as if they had been caught eavesdropping, except for River, who giggled cheerfully.  
"You can all come in, we're decent, I swear!" Zoe said, with more life then they had seen in her in the past three months combined.

Zoe and Wash sat happily in each other's arms as they waited for the others to come in. First Kaylee walked through the door, and her very biggest smile appeared on her face as tears instantly fell from her eyes.  
"Oh God, look at you two! Look at you!" She cried, covering her mouth with her hands.  
Simon followed her, smiling calmly, and put an arm around her waist, then came Jayne, who actually smiled too, and even laughed, walking over to Wash and clapping him hard on the shoulder.  
Inara glided in, waving a delicate hand at Wash, her eyes also misty with tears. Then came River, who looked pleased with herself, and finally, Mal.

"Mal…" Zoe whispered through a hoarse throat, causing everyone to turn and stare. They had never heard Zoe call Mal anything other than "Captain" and "Sir". Mind, they had never really seen her cry either.  
She got up from the bed, rubbed Wash's shoulder, walked straight over to the Captain and gave him a fierce hug.  
"I can't tell you - … thank you. Thank you so much…"  
She pulled away for a moment to look at his face, which was mostly amused, and she concluded, with a smile, "Sir."  
"Was my pleasure! 'sides, had to get my pilot back." He exclaimed, and then walked over to Wash and ruffled his hair.  
"Good to have you back, Wash."  
"I'll say." Zoe said, getting back onto the bed and into Wash's arms.  
"But, now that the reunion's over, back to work people! Jayne, go keep watch over Mr. Alliance man – "  
"Alliance?" Wash yelled.  
"I'll explain later, dear." Zoe soothed.  
"River, back to pilot. Simon, keep an eye on Wash here, I want him back at his post as soon as possible. Kaylee… keep Simon company. I don't want any gushing romantics takin' hold of my engine, and Inara…"  
Inara looked at him expectantly.  
"Come give me a kiss, woman!"  
And with that he took her in his arms and pushed his lips against hers, getting a round of applause from all around.  
"And as for you two… well, it's about time Zoe moved back into her room. Maybe you can help you out there, Wash."  
Mal and Inara both left the room, followed by a gleeful Jayne and a proud-looking River. Kaylee wrapped her arms around Simon, looking even more cheery than usual, and Zoe helped Wash up, who was having very little difficulty walking, and they made their way to their room.

"What did he mean, Zo? Move you back into the bunk?"  
Zoe looked at Wash, her smile dying a little when she remembered how horrible these past few months had been.  
"I couldn't live in a world surrounded by you, without you, dear."  
Wash stopped dead in his tracks, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her firmly on the mouth.  
"So, does that mean the bed is cold?"  
She smiled. "Probably."  
Wash smiled and looked up at her deviously.

"Well… let's go warm it up, then!"


End file.
